Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Duke of York

Lord Berkeley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Anelay of St Johns on 21 January (HL4053), what activities involving the pursuit of Foreign and Commonwealth Office Objectives justified the air travel funded by the Government, and how that role differs from the work which the Duke of York undertook in his role as United Kingdom Trade Ambassador, from which he resigned in 2011.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: Two of the visits were invitations for specific events:1. The visit to Germany was to represent Her Majesty The Queen at the celebrations for the 300th anniversary of the Personal Union of the Crowns of the UK and Hanover through highlighting the modern UK-Germany relationship including the promotion of UK-German links in science and innovation and learning about Germany’s apprenticeship and management training schemes.2. The visit to Switzerland was to the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN)’s 60th anniversary and highlighted the UK as one of the most significant contributors to scientific research and engineering through a keynote address. His Royal Highness the Duke of York met young British scientific pioneers, championed the UK’s role in creative and innovation sectors, engaged with senior UN officials in Geneva and met with Swiss Apprentices.The other two visits were to support and further enhance the important bilateral relationships between the UK and each country.In Kuwait , His Royal Highness re-affirmed the close relationship and encouraged further co-operation in several sectors including Healthcare, Science and Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Youth Engagement.In Saudi Arabia,His Royal Highness focused activity on building key relationships in the Kingdom whilst focusing on partnership Healthcare, Education and Entrepreneurship.When His Royal Highness stepped down from the role of UK Special Representative for Trade and Investment in 2011, it was announced that he would continue to support British business and represent the UK in the same way as the other members of the Royal Family who represent Her Majesty The Queen and the UK on official Royal Visits overseas.

Libya

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the formation of an interim technocratic government in Libya to oversee a transition to a new constitutional and consensual government.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The UK’s objective is for Libya to return to a peaceful post-revolution transition, resulting in a stable, open and democratic government that meets the needs of its people and contributes to wider regional stability and security. I refer the noble Lord to the Joint Statement on Libya by France, Germany, Italy, Spain, UK, US, EU and UN on 3 December 2014. As part of that statement, the UK and partners strongly endorsed the UN’s efforts to work with key stakeholders to build a national unity government for Libya, and committed themselves to support such a government. We commend those who have participated in the UN discussions in Geneva. We strongly urge all other Libyan parties to engage seriously in this process to avert a further deterioration in the humanitarian situation experienced by ordinary Libyans as a result of the ongoing conflict, and to prevent the further erosion of Libya’s security.

Egypt

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with the government of Egypt regarding the criminalisation of all forms of violence against women and girls in that country by introducing legal provisions consistent with international law and standards.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We welcome the provisions for the protection of women’s rights in the new constitution adopted in January 2014, and the June 2014 law criminalising sexual harassment for the first time.We continue to discuss the issue of gender-based violence with the Government of Egypt. In 2014 the UK sponsored a delegation of Ministry of Justice officials to meet UK counterparts and discuss issues of gender-based violence. These discussions helped inform drafting of the new Egyptian law. On 5 November Egypt underwent its second review under the Human Rights Council’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR), during which the UK recommended completion of the National Strategy on Violence Against Women with a clear and credible implementation plan, and that Egypt invite the Special Rapporteur for Violence Against Women to visit.

Egypt

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with the government of Egypt regarding the progress of investigations in that country conducted into alleged cases of sexual and gender-based violence, including female genital mutilation.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: Our Embassy in Cairo continues to monitor alleged cases of sexual and gender-based violence. In 2014 the UK sponsored a delegation of Ministry of Justice officials to meet UK counterparts and discuss issues of gender-based violence. We welcome the provisions for the protection of women’s rights in the new constitution adopted in January 2014, and the June 2014 law criminalising sexual harassment for the first time. The new law has led to several convictions. In addition, on 26 January, an Egyptian doctor was convicted of the manslaughter of a girl who died after an illegal female genital mutilation procedure. We continue to discuss the issue of gender-based violence with the Government of Egypt.

Islamic State

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with the governments of Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Iran regarding the containment and eventual defeat of ISIL.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), co-hosted a Coalition Small Group meeting on 22 January with US Secretary of State, John Kerry. Twenty-one key members of the global coalition, including Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Egypt, met in London to review and discuss our efforts to degrade and defeat the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).We discussed the situation in Iraq and five key areas for defeating ISIL: the military campaign; countering ISIL financing; foreign fighters; strategic communications; and humanitarian assistance.Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Egypt are each making significant contributions to the coalition and we will continue to work closely with them.Although Iran is not a member of the global coalition, it has an important role to play in the region and we have an ongoing dialogue on regional issues as part of our engagement via non-resident Chargé d’Affaires. Iran, and the whole region, needs to play a constructive role to help the new Iraqi government create an inclusive political solution for all Iraqis.

Iran

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the report of 16 December 2014 from the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Iran; and what practical ways they have identified for implementing its recommendations.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We strongly supported the last report of October 2014 of the UN Special Rapporteur for Human Rights in Iran; and wholly endorsed his recommendations regarding the use of death penalty, a ban on child marriage and in support of the full enjoyment of rights guaranteed by the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.We raise human rights issues in our bilateral dialogue with Iran and work closely with international human rights bodies and partners to encourage Iran to improve its human rights record and progress the issues raised in the UN Special Rapporteur’s recommendations.

Libya

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what progress they have made in the past year in discussions with the government of Libya about compensation for people in Northern Ireland in respect of shipments of arms and explosives from that country to the IRA.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: I refer the noble Lord to my answer of 17 December 2014 (HL3464). There have been no developments in the interim.

Cabinet Office

Immigration

Lord Marlesford: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many immigrants from (1) Bulgaria, and (2) Romania, arrived in the United Kingdom in each month during 2014.

Lord Wallace of Saltaire: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply. 



ONS Letter to Peer - Immigrants
(PDF Document, 125.16 KB)

Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

Investment: Treaties

Baroness Falkner of Margravine: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of international investor-state dispute settlement mechanisms.

Lord Livingston of Parkhead: The effectiveness of individual Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) provisions depends upon the specific terms of the relevant investment protection treaty, of which there are over 3000 in force worldwide. Over the life of all these agreements investors have filed over 560 claims. According to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), by the end of 2012, of concluded arbitration cases, 32% had found in favour of the claimant, 41% in favour of the state and 26% were settled. In the absence of any protections provided by an investment treaty and ISDS provisions, foreign investors would, in many of these cases, have had no equivalent legal mechanism through which to have their claim considered objectively by an independent judicial body.

Arms Trade: Exports

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have plans to make the export of arms contingent on countries' commitments to improve human rights.

Lord Livingston of Parkhead: The Government supports a responsible defence and security industry that helps meet the legitimate defence needs of other states, and contributes to their security and law and order.   Export licence applications are rigorously assessed against the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria, taking into account all prevailing circumstances at the time of application. Exports to countries with human rights issues continue to be subject to close scrutiny, in particular under Criterion Two which concerns the ‘respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms in the country of final destination as well as respect by that country for international humanitarian law’. The Government will not issue an export licence if there is a clear risk that the proposed export might be used for internal repression. Export licences are kept under review in the light of changing international circumstances. Government can suspend or revoke extant licences when a changing situation, such as an outbreak of conflict or acts of internal repression, means the licence would no longer be consistent with the Consolidated Criteria.

Ministry of Justice

Al-Sweady Inquiry

Lord Blencathra: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much legal aid has been paid to Public Interest Lawyers in respect of allegations made during the Al-Sweady inquiry; and what steps they plan to take to recover such money.

Lord Faulks: Legal aid did not fund the Al-Sweady inquiry itself, nor did it fund the legal representation at the inquiry for the families of the Iraqi civilians who were killed. However, the inquiry stemmed from six people bringing a civil judicial review claim against the Ministry of Defence. These challenges were funded by legal aid. Payments on account were made which amounted to £188,000. The Justice Secretary ordered the LAA to conduct a rigorous review into the actions of Public Interest Lawyers in handling of evidence and documents relating to the Al-Sweady Inquiry. Some concerns were referred to the independent Solicitors Regulation Authority and they are now carrying out an investigation into these matters.

Alcoholic Drinks: Children

Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many prosecutions there have been for alcohol sales to those under the age of 18 since the new maximum fine for the offence was introduced; how many such prosecutions resulted in the maximum fine being applied; and how many prosecutions in the same period resulted in fines exceeding the previous maximum.

Lord Faulks: Fines imposed in individual cases are entirely a matter for the independent courts within the limits set by Parliament and following any relevant sentencing guidelines. The law requires that the amount of any fine must reflect both the seriousness of the offence and the known financial circumstances of the offender. HM Courts and Tribunals Service takes the issue of fine enforcement very seriously and is working to ensure that clamping down on fine defaulters is a continued priority nationwide. Over recent years we have overseen improvements to the collection of financial penalties. There was a total of £290m collected against fines and related impositions in 2013/14 which was a record high. In April 2012 the Government raised the maximum fine for the offence of persistently selling alcohol to a person under the age of 18 from £10,000 to £20,000 in cases where alcohol has been sold twice within a period of three months from the same premises. The number of defendants proceeded against for offences involving sale of alcohol to those under the age of 18 in England and Wales from 2009 to 2013 can be viewed in the table attached. In this time-period, no offender has been sentenced at any court in England and Wales, to the maximum penalty for the offences of persistently selling alcohol to children; of selling alcohol to a person aged under 18 years, or of allowing the sale of alcohol to a person under 18 years. Between April 2012 and December 2013 no offender has received a fine above the previous maximum for the offence of persistently selling alcohol to children. Court proceedings data for 2014 are planned for publication in Spring 2015.



 Fines Selling alcohol to under 18s
(Excel SpreadSheet, 26.5 KB)

Prisons: Crimes of Violence

Lord Hunt of Chesterton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what have been the trends in the last five years of violent incidents in prisons (1) between inmates, and (2) between prison staff and inmates; and what steps they are taking to remove dangerous weapons from inmates.

Lord Faulks: NOMS does not tolerate violence of any kind in prison and any assault is treated extremely seriously. Trends on assaults in prisons (1) between prisoners and (2) by prisoners on officers are published in Table 3.8 of the Safety in Custody statistics bulletin. This can be found in the 'Assaults in prison custody 2000 to 2013' statistics. Statistics to show assaults in prison custody for 2014 can be found in ‘Safety in custody summary tables to September 2014’ at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/safety-in-custody-statistics-quarterly-update-to-june-2014 The National Offender Management Service (NOMS) has a duty of care to prevent illicit and unauthorised items from entering prisons. As such, prisons may deploy a comprehensive range of robust searching and security measures to detect weapons, both at the point of entry to the prison or concealed within the prison. NOMS have put forward new legislation in the Serious Crime Bill to ensure that those who possess knives, bladed or pointed weapons and other offensive weapons in prison can face prosecution under a new criminal offence, punishable by up to four years in prison. The new legislation will provide a greater deterrent against the trafficking of weapons into prison and the possession and use of weapons in prison, strengthening the measures already available to tackle violence.

Department for Work and Pensions

Social Security Benefits

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what progress has been made to implement the changes announced in December 2014 to provide more information about Short Term Benefit Advances online and in Jobcentres and to update the guidance on Short Term Benefit Advances for Jobcentre advisers.

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what procedures they have put in place to monitor the effectiveness of changes to the information and guidance provided on Short Term Benefit Advances in helping to raise awareness of Short Term Benefit Advances among potential claimants.

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they will evaluate the effectiveness of changes to the information and guidance provided on Short Term Benefit Advances in helping to raise awareness of Short Term Benefit Advances among potential claimants.

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether changes to the information and guidance provided on Short Term Benefit Advances have led to an increase in the number of applications for Short Term Benefit Advances.

Lord Freud: The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, the Rt. Hon. Iain Duncan Smith, set out on 8 December 2014 (Official Report, column 633) how the Department for Work and Pensions will be doing much to raise awareness of Short Term Benefit Advances (STBAs). This will include providing more information to claimants about STBAs online and in Jobcentres. Staff guidance on STBAs will also be updated and staff reminded of the process for considering an STBA. The department has already undertaken testing of the posters and messaging with a small number of staff and claimants. We have also asked the Social Security Advisory Committee to review these customer communication products before they are introduced. Once the products have been introduced we will, of course, closely monitor their effectiveness and impact, including on the number of requests for STBAs.

Occupational Health

Lord Luce: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what progress has been made with the establishment of the Health at Work Assessment and Advisory Service.

Lord Freud: Fit for Work, previously known as the Health and Work Service, is comprised of two elements: i) Free, expert and impartial work-related health advice via a website and telephone lineii) Referral to an occupational health professional for employees who are, or are expected to, undergo a period of sickness absence from work lasting four weeks or more. The Fit for Work occupational health professional will identify obstacles preventing the employee from returning to work and produce a Return to Work Plan tailored to the employee’s needs. The advice element of Fit for Work went live in England and Wales in December 2014. From January 2015 some GPs in the Sheffield area had the opportunity to try the assessment service. This will be expanded across the country over a period of months from spring, building on this experience and learning. Fit for Work Scotland is being delivered by the Scottish Government; the advice element went live in December 2014 and the referral element went live, initially in three NHS Board areas, in January 2015. As with England and Wales, this will be expanded across Scotland from the spring.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

National Parks

Lord Smith of Finsbury: To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they expect to be able to respond to Natural England's proposals for an extension to the boundaries of the Lake District and Yorkshire Dales National Parks.

Lord De Mauley: A public inquiry into Natural England’s proposals to extend the boundaries of the Lake District and Yorkshire Dales National Parks was held in June 2013. The inspector’s report has been submitted to Defra and is now being considered. The Secretary of State will issue her decisions in due course.

Home Office

Forced Marriage

Lord McConnell of Glenscorrodale: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Bates on 9 January (HL3493), how many of the 1,302 cases identified for advice or support in 2013 were about British girls sent abroad to marry in that year.

Lord McConnell of Glenscorrodale: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Bates on 9 January (HL3493), whether the 1,302 cases of advice or support related to a possible forced marriage can be broken down into figures for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland; and if not, whether they can be broken down in future years.

Lord McConnell of Glenscorrodale: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Bates on 9 January (HL3493), whether the Forced Marriage Unit operates across the whole of the United Kingdom; and if not, what arrangements for co-ordination exist with the devolved governments in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Lord Bates: The number of reported cases to the Forced Marriage Unit (FMU) each year does not reflect the full scale of the abuse, as many more cases go unreported. 82% of the reported number of 2013 cases involved female victims. The FMU operates across the whole of the UK, where support is provided to any individual of any nationality. It also operates overseas where consular assistance is provided to British nationals, including dual nationals.The data held by the FMU cannot specifically be broken down to identify cases for advice or support relating to British girls sent abroad. To provide more detailed information on the figures for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, would involve a disproportionate cost. We also have no plans to publish figures in this format in future years.

Drugs: Crime

Baroness Doocey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many people have been prosecuted for (1) human trafficking offences, and (2) other offences, as a result of the Metropolitan Police's Operation Pibera and similar operations across the United Kingdom which target criminals who use children to traffic drugs across county boundaries.

Lord Bates: The Home Office does not hold this information centrally. However, the Crown Prosecution Service has confirmed that, where a child is forced to move drugs and there is sufficient evidence, human trafficking offences may be used to prosecute those responsible.

HM Treasury

Financial Markets

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the risks and fairness of high speed trading.

Lord Deighton: The Government sponsored the Foresight Project, which reported in 2012, to analyse the role of computer-based trading, including high frequency trading, in financial markets[1].  [1] https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/future-of-computer-trading-in-financial-markets-an-international-perspective

Art Works

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment have they made of the case for regulation of the global art market in order to prevent crime.

Lord Deighton: The art market in the UK is already regulated in so far as antique and fine art dealers that accept cash payments of €15,000 Euro or more in exchange for goods are considered ‘High Value Dealers’ and fall within the scope of the Money Laundering Regulations. This is because cash-intensive businesses are considered particularly susceptible to money laundering. High Value Dealers are supervised for the purpose of these Regulations by HM Revenue & Customs.

Income Tax

Lord Christopher: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what changes have been made in the last five years to the rules on the distinctions for income tax purposes between employment and self-employment.

Lord Deighton: The Government have not made any changes to the rules on the distinctions for income tax purposes between employment and self-employment in the last five years.   However the Government has taken action to address false self-employment both through intermediaries and limited liability partnerships (LLP), making changes that mean that a salaried member of an LLP will be treated as an employee for income tax.

Department for Energy and Climate Change

EU Emissions Trading Scheme

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the emissions trading market.

Baroness Verma: The EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) is functioning effectively. However, reform is needed to tackle the surplus of two billion allowances that weakens the incentive to adopt carbon-reducing measures. This risks increasing the long-term cost of meeting the UK’s climate change targets. The Government supports reform through the European Commission’s proposal for a Market Stability Reserve, strengthened by introducing it before 2017 and placing a large portion of the surplus allowances directly in to it.Outside the EU, carbon pricing mechanisms are spreading globally as countries recognise their usefulness as tools to modernise economies and tackle emissions. In 2014, about 40 national and over 20 sub-national jurisdictions had implemented or scheduled emissions trading schemes or carbon taxes. Where appropriate, HMG supports the development of these mechanisms through the international negotiations, our bilateral project work and through projects funded by the International Climate Fund.

Northern Ireland Office

Terrorism: Northern Ireland

Lord Empey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many letters of comfort were sent to Sinn Fein politicians for onward delivery to persons believed to be "on the run" within the United Kingdom and outside the United Kingdom.

Baroness Randerson: The total number of ‘on the runs’ considered by the administrative scheme and the outcome of their cases are set out in some detail in Chapter 7 of the Hallett Report. Lady Justice Hallett found that 156 ‘on the runs’ were sent individual letters between 2000, when the scheme was established by the previous government, and 2012, via Sinn Féin, informing them that they were not wanted.

Corporation Tax: Northern Ireland

Lord Christopher: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Northern Ireland Assembly has given its full agreement to the Corporation Tax (Northern Ireland) Bill; and, if not, on which parts of the Bill its consent has been reserved.

Baroness Randerson: All five parties in the Northern Ireland Executive have long advocated the devolution of corporation tax rate-setting powers and the Executive was involved in the development of the legislation the Government has now introduced.

Northern Ireland Government

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further the Written Answers by Baroness Randerson on 27 January (HL4283) and 19 January (3949), why they have not answered the original question; and whether they will now answer it.

Baroness Randerson: The involvement of the Irish Government in the talks leading to the Stormont House Agreement was consistent with the three stranded approach to Northern Ireland affairs and the 1998 Belfast Agreement. The Irish Government did not participate in negotiations on strand one matters which, as the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has made clear, including at the Ulster Unionist Party conference in October, are for the United Kingdom Government and the Northern Ireland parties alone.

Department of Health

In Vitro Fertilisation

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answers by Viscount Younger of Leckie on 23 January 2014 (WA 153–4) and by Earl Howe on 20 October 2014 (HL1962), how the provider of any novel intervention to prevent mitochondrial disease would be expected to demonstrate in advance that they could carry out the procedure safely and effectively; to what extent the safety of each proposed technique would be evaluated primarily by means of preclinical studies with animal models or by Phase 1 clinical trials; whether the initial application of the proposed techniques in a clinical context would be undertaken for any investigative purposes; and how informed consent would be obtained for investigations into how mutations are passed down from mother to child and vary in different cells of the resulting children, as described in paragraph 1.11 of their February 2014 consultation document entitled "Mitochondrial Donation".

Earl Howe: It will be for the national regulator, the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA), to determine its procedures for assessing applications to provide mitochondrial donation treatment for a named patient. The HFEA has advised that it will design the regulatory process, following the passage of any regulations to allow mitochondrial donation, on which it will seek views.

Hospital Beds

Lord Hunt of Chesterton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the current and planned trend for the reduction of (1) district nurses, (2) midwife services, and (3) meals on wheels to elderly and sick people in their homes; and how this is affecting the ability of National Health Service hospitals to return patients to their homes and community care.

Earl Howe: The Government is committed to making real changes to the quality and availability of all NHS services and has no plans to reduce services in the areas specified.   The Department published Care in local communities: A new vision and model for district nursing, in January 2013, to provide best practice guidance to be used locally to support the provision of the district nursing services that make a real difference to the patient's experience of health and wellbeing. Community nursing teams are usually led by district nurses, and are made up of an appropriate skill mix to meet local needs and this includes specialist nurses and staff nurses, with support from healthcare assistants. Local areas are using a wider skill mix within their community nursing teams, including extending the role of health care support workers. To ensure an adequate supply of skilled district nurses in the future Health Education England has increased the number of training places for district nurses for 2015-16 by 16.5%.   The Government is committed to improving choice of place of birth, continuity of care and women’s experience of care. There are more than 1,900 full-time equivalent midwives than in May 2010 and a record number, in excess of 5,000 in training. Women can expect a range of choices over maternity services, as set out in the NHS Choice Framework for 2013-14, although these will depend on what is best for them and their baby, as well as what is available locally. Women can choose to receive antenatal care from a midwife or a team of maternity health professionals, including midwives and obstetricians. They can choose to give birth either at home, in a local midwifery facility or in hospital. Postnatal care can also be received at home or in a community setting, such as a Sure Start Children’s Centre.   Meals are provided by the 152 individual councils with adult social services responsibilities on the basis of assessed eligible need. Provision of social care services is a matter for local decision. The Department is unable to provide data on planned trends in provision. The Government has just issued a ring-fenced grant for £25 million to councils that have hard-pressed hospitals in their areas to facilitate faster discharge through additional reablement packages.   In addition, the Government has implemented a number of initiatives to minimise cases of hospital-delayed discharges. The Government has given a record £700 million this winter for 700 more doctors, nearly 4,500 more nurses and 5,000 more beds, including in social care and community settings. This money has been allocated through System Resilience Groups (SRGs), who bring together partners across the health and social care system, including acute and community providers and local authorities. Plans developed by SRGs before the funds were released, were required to include processes of good practice on reducing delayed discharges.   The vast majority of the £5.3 billion Better Care Fund, which begins on 1 April 2015, is being spent on social care and community health services. The aim is to encourage joint working between local authorities and the National Health Service to keep people out of hospital in the first place, as well as helping them to return home as soon as it is safe to do so. The national conditions in the Better Care Fund include the protection of social care and improvements in seven day working across health and social care to help quicker, more appropriate discharge from hospital. All plans must meet these conditions before being approved.

In Vitro Fertilisation

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Earl Howe on 22 January 2014 (WA 124–5), under what circumstances nuclear DNA removed and isolated from an egg or an embryo would be classed as either a permitted egg or permitted sperm when nuclear DNA removed and isolated from an embryo would not be classed as a live human embryo.

Earl Howe: Section 3(2) of the Human Fertilisation & Embryology Act 1990, as amended (the 1990 Act), prohibits the placing in a woman of an embryo other than a permitted embryo or any gametes other than permitted eggs or permitted sperm. Neither the definition of the terms "permitted egg", "permitted sperm" and "permitted embryo" in section 3ZA of the 1990 Act nor in Regulations 3 and 6 of The Draft Human Fertilisation and Embryology (Mitochondrial Donation) Regulations 2015 extends to isolated DNA.

Dental Services

Lord Colwyn: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will publish each NHS England local area team's commissioning guidelines and referral criteria for (1) orthognathic surgery, (2) dental implants for head and neck cancer patients, (3) dental implants for hypodontia patients, (4) orthodontic treatment within Special Care Dentistry, and (5) intravenous sedation within Special Care Dentistry.

Earl Howe: NHS England intends to publish national guidance covering Orthodontics, Special Care Dentistry, Oral Surgery/Oral Medicine, and Restorative dentistry. NHS England’s intention is that this guidance will be published in 2015 and will supersede all local guidance.

Cancer: Drugs

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government which companies refused to make appropriate adjustment to their prices to allow their drugs to stay in the Cancer Drugs Fund.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether Bayer made any approach to the Cancer Drug Fund to offer to reduce their price for the use of regorafenib as a third line drug for people with gastrointestinal stromal tumours.

Earl Howe: We cannot provide this information as information of this nature is commercial in confidence.

Cancer: Drugs

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Cancer Drugs Fund is to continue to fund any drugs where the appropriate company refused to make appropriate adjustment to their prices and where it failed to meet the value for money test.

Earl Howe: A drug may be funded in exceptional circumstances via the individual funding route. In addition, a drug may be retained in the Cancer Drugs Fund in an indication where it provides greater clinical benefit than the indication for which it has been removed.

Hospitals: Hygiene

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to increase the standard of hygiene in hospitals.

Earl Howe: Good infection prevention and control, prudent antimicrobial use and cleanliness are essential to ensure that people who use health and social care services receive safe and effective care. A clean healthcare environment promotes patient confidence and demonstrates a positive safety culture. The Government has taken a number of steps to secure this, as set out below.   Firstly, all hospital trusts are required by law to be registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) against a range of safety and quality standards. From April 2015, a new set of fundamental standards will come into force that reflect the recommendations made by Sir Robert Francis following his inquiry into care at Mid-Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust. The new requirement for cleanliness will be that all premises and equipment used by service providers must be: - clean; - secure; - suitable for the purpose for which they are being used; - properly used; - properly maintained; and - appropriately located for the purpose for which they are being used.   Secondly, the Department of Health is currently consulting on a revised Health and Social Care Act 2008 Code of Practice on the prevention and control of infections and related guidance that will provide guidance for hospital trusts on how they might meet the CQC’s registration requirements in relation to hygiene.   Thirdly, the Department has recently sponsored the British Standards Institution’s revision of a cleaning specification that can be used to assess the risks of poor cleanliness on patient confidence and the incidence of infection. The document is attached.   By all current measures, standards of hospital cleanliness are very high. The most recent CQC survey results (of both in-patients and accident and emergency departments) show the highest ever levels of patient satisfaction with the cleanliness of wards and toilets.   These improved levels of cleanliness have gone hand in hand with a continuing reduction in the number of healthcare associated infections such as Meticillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus. 



Hospital cleanliness review specification
(PDF Document, 949.67 KB)

Cancer: Drugs

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the total level of spending incurred by the Cancer Drugs Fund on reimbursing the National Health Service for molecular diagnostics testing in the last three years for which figures are available.

Earl Howe: Information on expenditure by the Cancer Drugs Fund (CDF) prior to 1 April 2013 is not available at individual drug/indication level.   NHS England has had oversight of the Fund since April 2013 and publishes information on the Fund’s financial position on its website at:   www.england.nhs.uk/ourwork/pe/cdf/   This is also attached.   Only one type of molecular diagnostic has been funded through the CDF since NHS England took over operational management of the Fund in April 2013. RAS (rat sarcoma) testing can be funded though the CDF as a temporary measure while work is currently underway to clarify legacy arrangements for how such tests are currently commissioned and ensure alignment with the National Tariff payment rules.   NHS England has advised that it is currently receiving approximately 350 notifications per month for RAS testing at an estimated cost of £70,000 per month. 



CDF Summary Financial Report - Month 9
(PDF Document, 147.89 KB)




CDF Summary Financial Report
(PDF Document, 150.77 KB)

Cancer: Drugs

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what proportion of the Cancer Drugs Fund budget has been allocated for molecular diagnostic testing costs in 2015–16.

Earl Howe: NHS England has advised that the Cancer Drugs Fund budget for 2015-16 is not broken down at individual drug/indication level.

Cancer: Drugs

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what processes have been put in place to ensure equitable access to molecular diagnostics across the National Health Service for medicines listed on the Cancer Drugs Fund.

Earl Howe: NHS England has advised that it is not the sole commissioner of molecular diagnostic testing.   Work is currently underway to clarify legacy arrangements for how such tests are currently commissioned and ensure alignment with the National Tariff payment rules. It is NHS England’s intention to ensure that a whole systems approach to the future commissioning of diagnostics within specialised services and by clinical commissioning groups forms part of a clinical and scientific strategy informing new models of care and the implementation of the Five Year Forward View.

Cancer: Drugs

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government which National Health Service trusts have applied for reimbursement of molecular diagnostics for medicines listed on the Cancer Drugs Fund in the last year for which figures are available.

Earl Howe: NHS England has advised that this information is not collected centrally.

Cancer: Drugs

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what guidance is being provided to National Health Service trusts regarding the option to recoup the costs of molecular diagnostics for medicines listed on the Cancer Drugs Fund.

Earl Howe: NHS England’s standard operating procedures for the Cancer Drugs Fund set out the basis on which the Cancer Drugs Fund operates. They are attached and also available at:   www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/sop-cdf-1114.pdf 



CDF Standard Operating Procedures
(PDF Document, 669.78 KB)

Bone Marrow Disorders

Lord Willis of Knaresborough: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what research is currently being funded by the National Institute for Health Research for the treatment of systemic amyloidosis or multiple myeloma.

Earl Howe: The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Clinical Research Network is currently setting up a study that will aim to image amyloid deposition in systemic amyloidosis using hybrid positron emission tomography/magnetic resonance imaging, with the future potential to diagnose and monitor treatment response in this condition.   The NIHR Health Technology Assessment programme is funding a £1.9 million trial assessing the benefit of antibiotic prophylaxis and its effect on healthcare associated infections in myeloma patients.   The NIHR is hosting a wide range of commercial and non-commercial myeloma treatment trials and studies through its Clinical Research Network, biomedical research centres, clinical research facilities, and through experimental cancer medicine centres funded jointly with Cancer Research UK.

Bone Marrow Disorders

Lord Willis of Knaresborough: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether any phase 2 or 3 clinical trials have been approved for the potential treatment of systemic amyloidosis or multiple myeloma.

Earl Howe: Seven Phase 2 or 3 trials for systemic amyloidosis and 58 Phase 2 or 3 trials for multiple myeloma have been approved in the United Kingdom since 2004. Four trials for systemic amyloidosis and 41 trials for multiple myeloma are currently still ongoing.